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NATURE-STUDY 



Butterflies and Moths 



The most beautiful of the insects are the Butterflies. These 

 airy, flitting, little beings always attract and cheer the eye. 

 They frequent the flower gardens, the roadside flowers, and 

 the flowers of the meadows and forest borders. 



The Cabbage Butterfly is the most common of our butter- 

 flies. As its caterpillar eats cabbage and related plants and 

 also the nasturtium, it is considered a nox- 

 ious insect. It is seen in every vegetable 

 garden and in fields and meadows. The 

 male has one black spot on each fore wing; 

 the female, two. 



A common butterfly similar to the preced- 

 ing, only yellow, is the Clouded Sulphur or 

 Clover Butterfly. This form is seen often in 

 clover fields where its larva feeds on the 

 clover. The wings are black bordered. The 

 fore wings have each a black, the hind an 

 orange, spot. The female is sometimes 

 white. 



The Mourning Cloak is a rather common butterfly with 

 dark-brown, yellow-bordered wings. Its black spiny cater- 

 pillars feed upon the leaves of willow and poplar. Some of 

 these butterflies pass the winter in the adult stage, and 

 occasionally on very mild days in winter or early spring they 

 may be seen flying about. 



The Swallowtails, of which there are several species, are 

 among the handsomest and largest. They are called thus 

 because the hind wings are drawn out into tapering ends. 

 They frequently visit flower gardens. The Red Admiral is 



FIG. 83. Moulted Skin 

 of Cicada. 



